UCLA at Oregon St. Saturday Baseball Game Thread

#11 UCLA (26-8, 11-5) at Oregon State (24-12, 6-7) at 1:05 PM PDT - Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, Corvallis, OR - KEJO 1240 AM & KPOJ 620 AM - ROOT Sports & FSN - Video and Audio Stream on Beaver Nation Online, for a fee

Gametracker

UCLA and Oregon St. continue their weekend series with a rare televised game on ROOT Sports & FSN this afternoon.

Last night, Bruins starter Adam Plutko no-hit the Beavers for 6 innings on his way to picking up the 4-0 win. Michael Conforto broke up the no-hitter with a seventh inning lead-off single, and Ryan Gorton backed that up with another single to center. But that was the extent of Oregon St.'s hitting for the night, as Ryan Dunn struck out and Dylan Davis grounded into a double play to end the Beavers biggest threat of the night.

Previously, UCLA's Beau Amaral had led off the third inning with a homer to right field off Oregon St. starter Ben Wetzler for what would turn out to be all the run support Plutko and Bruin reliever David Berg would need.

Bruin Sophomore Kevin Williams walked to lead off the 5th, and singled to start the 7th, and Amaral grounded out to advance Williams into scoring position both times. Williams would go on to score in both innings, as well as Tyler Heineman, who reached base as a result of being hit by a pitch in the 5th, giving UCLA a good working margin.

Plutko got the win, his 5th of the year, and Wetzler took his second loss of the season, despite allowing only 6 hits, but unfortunately 4 earned runs, in the 114 pitches he threw in 6 2/3 innings. Scott Schultz finished the 7th inning and got the first 2 outs of the 8th, allowing only 1 hit, and Zach Reser, Cole Bayliss, and Cole Brocker no hit the Bruins the rest of the way, but no offensive punch doomed Oregon St. to their 7th conference loss in their last 9 Pac-12 games, and their first shutout of the season.

The Bruins will send Sophomore RHP Nick Vander Tuig (4-2, 5.24 ERA) to the mound today. The Beavers plan to counter with Sophomore RHP Dan Child (4-2, 1.93 ERA).

Vander Tuig carried a 12-2 lead into the 6th inning last Saturday in Tucson, and turned the ball over to David Berg after a double, a walk, and an RBI single. UCLA went on to easily defeat Arizona 15-3, earning Vander Tuig the win. Vander Tuig allowed 8 hits, and all 3 of the Wildcat runs were earned. He walked only 1 Wildcat, but he also only struck out 1 'Cat batter.

Child scattered 6 hits across 7 1/3 innings in Monday's 5-0 shutout of the Pilots in Portland, striking out 9 without walking anyone in the process. Child got the win after Matt Boyd and Tony Bryant disposed of the last 5 Pilots in order.

Last night, #16 Arizona hammered Washington 10-2 and #14 Oregon overcame Washington St. 6-2, and the Wildcats and Ducks kept pace with #11 UCLA, and all three remain tied atop the Pac-12. #8 Stanford stomped #19 Arizona St. 17-5, which pulled the Cardinal into a tie with Oregon St. for 5th. in the conference race. California downed Utah 9-4 to round out Friday's Pac-12 action, giving the Golden Bears their 4th win in their last 5 games, and moving them into a tie with the Huskies for 8th place, but at 5-8, just one game behind the Beavers and Stanford.

The weather prediction is for the best weather so far this year in the valley, a perfect day for Pac-12 baseball! And a great time for Oregon St. to start hitting!

Go Beavers!